Fourteen Breaks An Unlucky Streak
by NeverLookBackSamurai
Summary: A city whose buildings seem to rise from darkness itself; a silver moon in the shape of a heart. All of it frightened me at first, but the feeling fades, as though I have no emotions... ZexionOC AxelOC DemyxOC Rating to be changed to M for later chapters
1. Dark Beginnings

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any material related to Square Enix in any way or form.

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Note: Various character descriptions, personalities, etc. are based solely the author's vague familiarity and knowledge of Kingdom Hearts II. Please forgive any anomalies that may occur within the story.

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_A brightly lit town. That's all I see. A city whose buildings seem to rise from darkness itself; a silver moon in the shape of a heart. All of it frightened me at first, but the feeling quickly fades, as though I have no emotions in the first place. I try to remember how I got here; how is it I awake in a dimly lit alleyway with no one and nothing nearby?_

_**My memories… they're gone? **_

_Some sort of doorway opens before me, like a writhing, curling mist of opaque darkness. I see a dark, hooded figure step from the swirling, viscous substance, and the faceisshrouded in shadow. _

_My fear intensifies for a mere second, before dying away into nothingness… __**Why can't I feel?**_

_Gloved fingers smoothly pull the leather hood away from a pale face surrounded by up swept blonde hair. My gaze is stolen from where I stare maddeningly at the wall I find myself slumped against, to meet a young man's battle-hardened azure. He stares down at me, as though studying me for a weak point. I try my hardest to look as though I have none._

"… _Who are you?" My voice decides to return to me at last, filling me with both hope and dread; both of which dissipates as easily as my other feelings. The boy looks at me uninterestedly, before beckoning with his head. I find my legs and arms have feeling in them again, and I rise unsteadily, leaning heavily on the nearby wall for support. Intense cerulean irises burn into my own as I raise my eyes. The young blonde bears me with him to the portal, his vice-like grip spurring me to put one foot in front of the other. We step into the dark, swirling mass, and it envelopes us in a cold that slices through my skin like a thousand knives. The blonde lets me go, leaving bruises where his touch had been, and he turns to me, and smirks, and says,_

"_Xemnas will take it from here. I hope you make a lasting impression, Fourteen."_

_That, as I well remember now, was my beginning._

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**A/N**: This is my first attempt at anything in the Kingdom Hearts category, as well as trying my hand at an Organization XIII-based story. Please leave constructive criticism.


	2. Silver Memory

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or anything related to Square Enix in any way or form.

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Note: Characters are probably OOC. Author is unsure of personalities. There is some mixing of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts II here.

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"What exactly does this so-called 'Keyblade bearer' have to do with the plan, Xemnas?" The pastel blue-haired man glanced at the hooded figure beside him, before returning his emerald gaze to the milky glass before him. The Superior was not one to play mentor to others of the Organization, even when they had been newly initiated.

"He is important because he is going to become our servant. He will help us create Kingdom Hearts regardless of whether or not he is aware of it." Without another word, Xemnas waved his hand, opening a portal for the identity beside him, and inclined his head to it. Taking the hint, the hooded personage stepped through the frigid mist she had come to be familiar with.

--

"Why did Xemnas send you to me?" A fleeting sensation, more like a memory, of annoyance flittered through the shrouded being's heart; or where there would be a heart if she had one.

"If I knew that, Axel, I wouldn't be questioning _myself_ about that, now, would I?" The young woman spoke with a soft, airy tone, gently removing her hood and brushing her hair away from her face. Everything about her was pale: her skin was a creamy tint that the redhead had never seen, and her silvery hair was even lighter than the Cloaked Schemer Zexion's, falling in gentle waves about her face, and coming to rest at her mid-back. What made her the most unique out of all the members, however, was the shade of her eyes; some kind of haunting silver that could change between a pale blue, pastel green, or a bloody red depending on her mood and situation. Combined with the rounded oval of her face, the young woman looked quite lost and innocent most of the time, a fact that hid a brilliantly intelligent, cold, calculating mind.

"So what did he want?" Axel asked, running his fingers through his shocking red spikes. The young woman didn't hear him, her eyes slowly focusing and unfocusing as she gazed out the window at a yellow, heart-shaped moon. A muddled image of a round one surfaced in her mind, and a soft, liquid, rushing sound resounded in her ears…

"Caxebrec?" The silver-haired woman awoke from her reverie, her now greenish eyes settling on Axel's jade orbs. He cocked his head. "You okay?" Caxebrec nodded, frowning.

**What was that? … Was that… a **_**mem… ory?**_

"Caxebrec! You keep spacing out on me." A faint smile graced the woman's lips as she gazed at the redhead. Axel had been her friend since her initiation into Organization XIII, when it became Organization XIV. The fiery redhead had taken her under his wing during her training, and was one of her best friends, along with Roxas. Caxebrec had developed a soft spot for both of them, caring for them as her own siblings. That was the only emotion she could recall owning at one time: compassion.

"I'm fine, Axel. Really. I suppose Xemnas just wanted me out of his sight, as always." The young woman sat down in a chair beside the man, sighing as she leaned back. Emerald irises flashed in the perpetual moonlight as he shifted his gaze to the young woman. In the short time he had known her, he had come to like the young woman as more than just a friend, and enjoyed her company as much as he did with his blonde friend, the thirteenth member of the Organization.

"Where's Roxas?" Axel's eyes darkened as he looked away.

"Out. In the city." Caxebrec remained silent at the clipped reply, before rising soundlessly to her feet, and crossing the white marble expanse of flooring between the pair and the window. Silvery-blue eyes settled on the numerous neon-like lights that dotted the sprawling city, scanning for any sign of a blonde head running through the streets. She knew Roxas loved to run blindly through the streets of the Nobody's world, and every time he would leave the Organization's stronghold, she felt a part of her leave with him. The young man had been with her for so long, from her very beginning, through her training, to the present, that she had come to depend on and befriend him. Caxebrec was so intent on looking for the young man that she didn't notice the sudden chill that permeated the air behind her.

"Looking for someone?" The young woman whirled around, coming face to face with the blonde himself. He smiled and brought a gloved hand to her cheek, brushing away a stray lock of silvery hair. Caxebrec smiled as she took his hand away from her face, Axel creeping stealthily up behind the blonde.

"Axel, I wouldn't even try it." Said redhead groaned, defeated, pulling up another chair beside the window and flopping into it. Roxas and Caxebrec smiled at his exasperation, and settled into nearby chairs as well. A contented silence fell over the trio, as they watched the neon lights of the city flicker as Nobodies and Heartless rambled aimlessly through the streets. The blonde's azure eyes caught the slightest hint of a frown on the mouth of his silver-haired friend, her eyes glassy. Roxas quirked an eyebrow and Axel frowned at the blonde, seeing where he was looking. Immediately, a concerned expression crossed his face.

"Something wrong, Caxebrec?" Roxas asked, absentmindedly toying with a metal accessory on his cloak. The young woman didn't reply.

"Caxebrec?"

--

_I awake in the cool night air, an eternity of midnight velvet stretching across my vision, miniscule diamonds dotting the expanse haphazardly. The rushing of a sea I try to remember fills my ears. I can smell the familiar tang of sea-salt and decaying kelp, and feel the water brush my bare toes. _

_**Where am I?**_

_I feel weak, and can barely roll over onto my side, my hands coming to rest limply by my head. I can hear miniscule grains of sand shift beneath me, no doubt clinging to my hair and skin in the process. The sand is unbelievably smooth and cool, probably because of the incessant spray from the ocean. I feel the sand move by my head, and look up to stare into a pair of lively sea-green eyes half hidden by silver hair haphazardly splayed over a pale face. A name surfaces in the back of my mind, nearly impossible to grasp, like when one can barely remember the scent of a sickly sweet perfume. My lips struggle to form the word, though it screams and begs to be released from my mouth._

"_R-"_

_--_

"Caxebrec!" The young woman's eyes snapped open at the sound of her friends' voices. Blue eyes flashed red for an instant as she saw Axel and Roxas standing over her. Apparently, she had fallen from her chair and lay on the marble tiles of the redhead's room.

"I'm fine, Roxas," she said, swatting away the blonde's hand as she rose to a sitting position.

"You've done that twice today, Caxebrec. Within the last hour, too," Axel said, his jade eyes narrowing. "What's wrong?"

"Don't tell me the Icy Technician is losing her mind?" Roxas asked playfully, making a sad attempt at lightening the atmosphere. Caxebrec shot both men a glare as she stood.

"I have no time for your antics Roxas," she said. "I am not in the mood for them. As for you, Axel, I've already told you. I am perfectly fine." Axel and Roxas glanced at each other as their friend retreated to a newly formed portal, the unsaid statement lingering in the air between them.

_"She doesn't look fine."_

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**A/N:** I needn't be told if it is absolutely horrible. I am highly unfamiliar with character personalities, even with the research I've done. I congratulate those who can decipher Caxebrec's name. It took me a while to look up a unique name and change the letters to create a name that made sense.


	3. Teacher

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any material related to Square Enix in any way or form.

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Note: Characters may be extremely OOC. Author is unsure of personalities, despite research. Any tips on character personalities, please PM author or review with corrections.

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The Icy Technician swept up and down the crystalline pathways of Ruin and Creation's Passage. She felt herself calming with each step she took, the soft, lullaby tones of the transparent tiles resounding pleasantly in her ears. Crossing her arms, Caxebrec sighed, cerulean irises fading to green as she fell deep into thought, pondering what Axel and Roxas had been concerned about only minutes before.

_"A… memory… of a boy with silver hair and green eyes? I could hear the sea… The scent was just like the ocean when Xemnas opened the portal to that place called Destiny Islands-"_

"Hello, Caxebrec." The young woman's head shot up, silver bangs flying in her eyes. Wary green flashed crimson, before settling on a single orb colored a faint cerulean-purple hue. Half of the man's face was hidden behind a thick sweep of bluish-silver bangs, somewhat feminine-angled eyes analyzing Caxebrec's every move.

"Hello, Zexion," she said, bowing her head in respect to her superior. The young man returned the nod, his visible eye glancing over her impassively.

"It seems something is troubling you. If something is wrong, you ought to see Xemnas about it." Caxebrec noted the Schemer's monotone, and she bowed her head, closing her eyes and mind against any possible probes Zexion might send.

"I am not here to probe your mind, Technician," he said, observing her stance carefully. He had noticed as soon as she arrived in the Organization's midst that she would immediately barricade her mind against intrusion, no matter the means or cost to herself. The woman had done just that the first time she set eyes on him, evident fear that he would probe her mind in her eyes. That bit of information greatly interested Zexion, as well as pleased him; it had been too long since he had found someone worth testing his abilities against.

"As a scientist, it merely interests me as to how you can have randomized bursts of memory from when you truly existed, considering there is no physical evidence of you ever existing with a heart in the first place." he said, crossing his arms.

"That does not interest me, Schemer."

"Oh, but I believe differently." Zexion began to pace around her like a cat. Caxebrec felt a slight tension in the air between them, and she immediately went on guard, deciding to finally be the one to mess with his head.

"Do you wish to test abilities, Zexion?" she asked softly, freezing her muscles to avoid giving away any sign of hesitation. The Cloaked Schemer's interest peaked slightly; was the woman suggesting a battle where she knew she could very well die at any moment? Standing before her, he gazed down at her with an unflinching eye. Caxebrec met him, one for one, and the two were locked in a staring contest. Suddenly, the girl blinked, not knowing where Zexion had gone.

"I wish to know exactly what you are thinking, Technician." Caxebrec whirled around, only to be impaled by a dozen razor-edged book pages. Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw Zexion, his lexicon in hand, before she collapsed to the ground. The Schemer's face made no indication of astonishment as the girl disappeared in a cloud of digitalized numbers.

"Interesting technique, Zexion. How about my turn?" The Schemer turned to look at an upper platform not far away. His impassive face betrayed no hint of 'emotion' as he gazed at the small computer in her hand. Caxebrec made sure Zexion was watching her fingers typing rapidly on the keyboard, his own fingers weaving a net of nonsense patterns in the air as he watched her. Both created clones that swirled and manifested around the other, poised to attack.

"I suggest that you submit, student. You are far outmatched." Caxebrec smirked, disappearing in a rapid maelstrom of numbers.

"I suggest that you rethink that statement, teacher," she said, her bangs blown by her breath to graze Zexion's neck. The Sixth Organization member closed his eyes, the faintest hint of a wry smile on his lips as he felt cold metal pressed to the side of his neck. Caxebrec's body went rigid as he went up in a cloud of darkness before her, before freezing as she felt Zexion's strong, lithe frame against her back, an arm around her waist pinning her body to his. She felt her head roughly jerked back to rest on his left shoulder, a gloved hand placing itself strategically on either side of her trachea, pressing just enough for her to feel pain.

"I suggest you submit now, Caxebrec." Zexion's voice was deep and soft against her ear, a sultry sound that made the woman's entire body vibrate. The Schemer's sharp eyes didn't fail to notice the unexpected effect he had evoked. He inhaled softly.

"Your scent is quite interesting when you are caught in death's grip," he said. "Nothing at all like the others' panicked ones." Caxebrec cursed softly.

"I don't care, Zexion. I submit," Caxebrec murmured, cringing, bringing her arms up across her chest, palms facing outward in a submissive position. The Cloaked Schemer tilted his head to one side, waving his free hand to dismiss the lexicon floating at his side. He released her, and she fell to her knees, grasping her throat in an effort to get her breath back.

"_And to think I was going to ask for your help with these 'memories', Zexion…" _

"The request for help could have been brought up before we fought, Technician." The woman glared at the Schemer through silver bangs. With her defenses down for a split second, Zexion had managed to penetrate the mind shield she'd fabricated.

"It fascinates me to see how much you have improved, Caxebrec," he said, switching the topic. The woman looked up. "It is a relief that we now have another formidable fighter in the Organization."

"Not as formidable or ruthless as you, Zexion," she rasped, rubbing her neck gingerly. The Cloaked Schemer said nothing, but merely walked by her.

"… Will you help me, Zexion?" The Sixth Order stopped at the soft tone, his gaze directed at the invisible path before him.

"I will. But I have work to do today. Come tomorrow. Goodbye Caxebrec." With that, he walked away, disappearing through the entrance of Ruin and Creation's Passage.

"_Back to the curt, to-the-point answers already…" _Caxebrec shook her head, which only served to further injure her throat. She winced at the pain, and nearly slapped herself as she heard Zexion's voice in her mind.

"_There is no need to be upset, student, if you are able to feel such an emotion,"_ he said, a wry smile resounding in his voice. _"And your farewell could have been much better. Do remember who you are speaking with, Caxebrec…"_ The woman's face contorted in a scowl as she felt Zexion releasing his hold on her mind. She shook the remnants of his grasp from her head and sighed, suddenly feeling very weary. Waving her hand, she opened a portal and stepped through to the Proof of Existence room. Shooting a nasty glare at Zexion's chamber-portal, she stepped through hers, hoping for a decent rest before tomorrow's trials. As she lay on her bed, her mind drifting on the brink of sleep, she considered the moment Zexion had held her in a submissive position.

"_He smells just like sweet pine needles…"_

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A/N: Zexion is most likely OOC, I do realize that. I do not have any idea where this battle scene came from, but I was listening to a song called "L's Theme" from Death Note and my fingers flew over keys. Forgive me if this chapter is disagreeable to you.


	4. Sleepless

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any material related to Square Enix in any way or form.

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Note: Character deaths are inconsistent with the series, and purposely made to be so. Author is currently trying to play through a remainder of Sora's part of KH: CoM.

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_When I awake, I see nothing, only a midnight violet flecked with dew stretching across my vision. I realize it's night, like so many other nights I've lived to see. My sight is the first of my senses to return, before smell and touch, hearing and taste. All five point to the one thing I can consciously sense all around me: the sea. _

_This time though, I am stronger, and can finally sit up to survey my surroundings. A bright, round moon bathes me in silver light, so ironic for what I know I really am. The soft sound of calm wavelets rush across the sand, while waves over six feet high threaten to engulf their smaller brethren in a crushing throe further out. Instantly, I feel at peace, or what I would imagine peace and serenity to feel like. Almost absentmindedly, my hand finds its way to my chest; alas, no, there is nothing there._

_"It's beautiful, isn't it?" My body jolts at a deep, sensual voice, unaccustomed to someone sneaking up on me. I attempt to leap up, my feet finding purchase in the soft, shifting sand, but my legs fail damnably, collapsing beneath my weight, and I feel myself falling. Strong arms check my fall, wrapping gently around my waist and shoulders, bringing me to a shaky, but supported stand. I curse myself for being weak, and I try to lift my gaze to see my rescuer of sorts. The familiar bright emerald I thought I would see is veiled, a ribbon of black cloth tied across the part of the face where eyes would surely be. Disarrayed silver hair blows gently in the breeze, and my gaze travels lower. My eyes rest on black leather with silver trinkets adorning the neck of a cloak that I know is exactly like mine. _

_I try to throw myself out of the embrace, the shortest moment of panic slicing through the knowledge that I have no emotions. But the grip stays, and even intensifies. A black-gloved hand forces me to look up, back to the raven-colored ribbon hiding a pair of eyes I cannot see. A small, falsely endearing smile plays across their lips, and I am left to remember an unexpected flight of animalistic terror. The pressure from the person's fingers feels harsh enough to leave bruises, and the gaze I imagine I feel is piercing, burning, and I know without knowing how that the stare is full of the desire to both save and kill me…_

--

"NO!" Caxebrec awoke, tangled in a mess of bedsheets that wrapped around her entire body, constricting her movement and filling her with a slight intense terror that quickly faded. But it didn't erase the cold sweat that had enveloped her body, her black nightclothes sticking to her uncomfortably. Her silver hair fell over her shoulders in tangles, breath coming out in barely controlled pants. Jade eyes lifted to gaze around her chamber, and Caxebrec exhaled sharply, 'relief' flooding through her system when she saw only the comforting glow of her computers sleeping just a few feet away. Shading her sensitive eyes from the light of Kingdom Hearts, she untangled the sheets from her waist, before stepping lightly across the marble floor to the portal that would take her to the Proof of Existence room, waving her hands to change her clothes along the way. She paused before her chamber portal, a wry smile twisting her features.

_"Ironic that of all the portals in this damned castle, the ones to our rooms are the only ones that feel warm…" _Caxebrec drew a hand through her hair, untangling it by will alone, as she stepped through the thick, liquid-like mist of the portal. She alighted quietly on grey marble, the only noise in the room coming from the slight draft from the open door to Xemnas' chamber at the very top of the castle. Azure eyes gazed around the room, at the eerily bubbling lifelines for Kingdom Hearts, to the remaining eight swirling portals belonging to the surviving members of what was once Organization _XIV_. Axel had told her how Vexen, Xigbar, Xaldin, Larxene, and even Luxord had fallen beneath the mystical keyblade, and how a young man named Riku had ended Lexaeus' 'existence', nearly destroying Zexion in the process. Caxebrec thought it interesting that it had been the Flurry who had been willing to tell her rather than one of the other more senior members who had witnessed the events at Castle Oblivion.

An unexpectedly lost expression crossed the young woman's face as she gazed around the room; she remembered when she had first been brought to the castle, as what she imagined would be a 'frightened' girl of unknown age. Her gloved fingers traced nonsense patterns on the platform at her waist, her own chamber portal playing the lone soldier on the lowest platform in the Proof of Existence room. She sat down on the platform that supported Axel's, Demyx's, and Luxord's chamber portals, nearly allowing a wearied sigh to escape her parted lips.

She was tired, physically exhausted. For nearly a year, as could be approximated by outside information from other worlds, Caxebrec had been in the Organization, working her way up into the favor, or at the very least, notice, of the other members. She had followed Xemnas' every command, every order to scout for new information for Kingdom Hearts, destroy a worthless enemy, or even lead platoons of Heartless to steal the hearts of Somebodies. Finally, she had tired of it. She wondered how any of her superiors could stand it, being ordered around constantly, when the orders were so _useless_—

"_No,"_ she told herself firmly. _"We are all trying to reach our goal. All trying… to find our hearts…"_

"Caxebrec, are you okay?" The woman looked up, dulled cerulean meeting two pairs of lively azure. Her eyes faded to a faint green as she gazed at Roxas and Demyx before her, barely making out their facial features under the shadow of their hoods.

"Back from the mission?" The two young men nodded, still looking at her with 'concern'.

"Couldn't sleep?" came Demyx's uncharacteristically soft inquiry. Caxebrec's gaze fell to the floor and she shook her head, absentmindedly tapping her fingers on the grey marble platform.

"We won't be able to either," Roxas said, pulling off his hood and cracking his neck. Demyx loosened his hood & yanked it back as well, popping his wrists as he did so.

"Xemnas lined up another one for us in half an hour. Wanna come with us?" he asked cheekily, grinning like an idiot. Caxebrec favored the Nocturne with a small smile at his playful tone, but shook her head.

"Maybe some other time, Dem." The sitarist made a small noise of protest, but the Key of Destiny hushed him; after all, there were other people sleeping nearby.

"We've got to report, Caxebrec," Roxas murmured, already heading past her up the slope to Xemnas' chamber. He offered the young woman a small smile, one which she returned with warm 'affection'.

"Have fun you two," she replied, the slightest hint of sarcasm laced through her voice. Just as they began to ascend the stairs, Caxebrec saw Demyx whirl around, place a hand next to his ear with his thumb pointed up and his index down, and mouth "Call me." This caused the Technician's eyebrows to rise, and a small upturn of one corner of her mouth. Leave it to the Melodious Nocturne to pick up something cheeky on a mission to use as a flirtation device. Caxebrec watched the pair disappear up the stairs, before returning to her thoughts.

Almost unconsciously, she found herself lying back on the cool, grey marble, her hands laced behind her head, one leg dangling off the platform, the other propped up against the flat plane, her mind wandering. She began to wonder, as she did most nights before she slept, what did it feel like to have a heart? Did she ever truly exist? She must have, in order to become a Nobody. Her thoughts whorled around in her head for a while, until her body physically ached from her unconscious tensing.

"Do you always scowl when you're thinking, Caxebrec?" The woman shot up, her eyes an intense crimson, before she stared up into familiar electrifying emerald.

"Axel…" she breathed; just the person she wanted to see. The Flurry shrugged, stifling a yawn behind his long, slender, gloved fingers.

"You're getting to be just as bad as Zexion," he said, spitting out the Schemer's name as though it were acid. Caxebrec masked her displeasure and confusion at his reaction; the Cloaked Schemer had served to be one of her better teachers in the delicate art of illusion and misdirection, as well as manipulation and puppetry. She had spent so much time with the young man that she considered him to be an extremely good friend, albeit one with hermit tendencies.

"Why do you hate him so much?" she asked quietly, turning her gaze to Axel's. The redhead matched her gaze, his emerald eyes piercing and hard.

"You don't need to know." Caxebrec's eyes narrowed dangerously, but remained silent. She _didn't need to know_ too many things in the castle, and it was beginning to 'vex' her.

"Fine, fine." She waved her hand dismissively. Axel felt the tension between them lift, and he sat beside her, leaning back, his head tilted behind him, exposing his long, pale neck. He felt Caxebrec's gaze on him, and he smirked slightly.

"Like what you see, Caxebrec?" The woman's eyebrow raised and she scoffed.

"Axel, _please_." The redhead's face drew itself into a frown as he watched Caxebrec cross her legs and lean back on her hands, her eyes apparently trained on a bubbling lifeline directly over her head.

"… I know something's wrong, Caxebrec." The woman closed her eyes at Axel's words. He took it as a sign to continue. "… How about we talk about it over ice cream?" Caxebrec's eyes snapped open, lighting up instantly as she looked at him, a small smile playing upon her lips.

"I don't want to talk about it yet… But ice cream sounds pretty good right about now," she said, winking at the redhead. Axel smiled, before standing up and extending his hand to her. Caxebrec took it, feeling the body warmth from the Flurry as he grasped her hand, waving the other to summon a portal. The pair stepped into the swirling mass, disappearing into the darkness.

Just as they vanished, one of the translucent blue chamber portals flashed brightly, and a bluish-silver-haired man stepped through, the look on his face one of intense 'displeasure'. Zexion stared intently at the point where the pair had disappeared.

"_So the Flurry of Dancing Flames has taken to Caxebrec…" _

--

No less than an hour later, Caxebrec sat atop a ledge on Twilight Town's bell tower, her legs dangling over the edge as she waited for Axel to get their ice cream. She hoped he was buying sea-salt bars, since the flavor had become her favorite after the redhead and Roxas had introduced it to her. Shading her eyes against the intense glare of the burning globe forever hovering over the horizon, she gazed out over the scenery.

Twilight Town was a quaint little town, nestled in a cozy green valley between two protective rows of hills, stretching as far as the eye could see. Houses were nestled together like birds sheltering each other, comforting swirls of fireplace smoke curling into the sky. For a reason she couldn't explain, Caxebrec felt at peace in the town, and it wasn't because one of her best friends had been born in it; no, the connection she felt was deeper, settling in the pit of her stomach and making her relax so much it was almost painful. She pushed a stray lock of hair out of her face as she gazed at the people going about their daily business in the square below, oblivious to their observer.

"It's a nice place, isn't it?" Caxebrec lifted her gaze to Axel, who had reappeared beside her, holding out a pale blue bar impaled with a wooden stick, a single drop of ice cream dribbling down the side. If she didn't know better, she could have sworn it was begging with the cutest of expressions,

_Eat me… eat me…_

"It _is_ a nice place, Axel," came the woman's soft reply, bringing the icy concoction to her lips. Her eyes softened as the salty-sweet taste flooded her mouth, floating delicately over her tongue in such a way it immediately made her mouth water for more. So caught up was she in the taste of the ice cream bar that she didn't notice her redheaded friend gazing at her, his own bar already half eaten.

_"I can't feel. I know that already," _Axel thought, his gaze returning to the melting ice cream in his hand. _"But I want- no, I need to know… If she would feel the same way if we haaaa… haaa..."_

"Aaaah!!" Caxebrec looked at her partner, eyes widening as the fire wielder held his head between his hands, pressing his thumbs harshly to his temples. She looked at the half eaten bar still clutched between three fingers, and she laughed, nearly choking on some ice cream that had melted when she realized Axel had gotten a brainfreeze.

"Idiot! You're not supposed to gulp down half the bar in five seconds!" The Flurry squinted at her painfully out of one eye, before realizing she was _laughing_. Axel had so rarely heard her laugh, and it was better than Demyx' sweetest music to his ears. The redhead found himself entranced by her shaking form, laughter-tremors making her double over. By then, Caxebrec was nearly gasping, the absurdity of her laughter quelling it somewhat, before dying completely when she realized her 'amusement' had faded into nothingness. She nearly jumped off the balcony when she felt Axel's fingers brush the tears from her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice halfway between dangerous and confused when she saw him leaning toward her. The redhead didn't reply, his emerald eyes staring into her azure ones, the intensity of his gaze making her freeze, which was _not_ what she wanted to do.

_"Move, damn body, __**move**__!"_ Caxebrec's breathing hitched when she felt Axel's fingers gently grasp her jaw, turning her head to the side. The sea-salt ice cream bars lay melting and forgotten beside the two, the faint blue liquid glistening in the sunlight. Caxebrec could feel Axel's hot breath against her neck, making her shudder. The Flurry of Dancing Flames seemed to hesitate, his lips mere centimeters from the side of her neck, just below her right ear.

"… If we had hearts, would you be able to love me?" he whispered against her skin, lips barely brushing over her nonexistent pulse. Caxebrec swallowed, damning her body for unlocking — muscle by muscle — so _slowly_…

"I don't know." The words had escaped her lips before she knew what she was thinking. She felt the slight tension shoot through the redhead's system, before his fingers loosened and he leaned away, his gaze full of 'sadness' and 'dejection' as he watched the people below.

"Okay," he said softly. Caxebrec released the breath she had been holding, shoulders slumping in 'relief' as she threw her legs back onto the balcony, heaving herself up into a standing position.

"I'm sorry Axel," she said, drawing her hood up, tugging nervously at the silver drawstring accents. "But we don't have hearts." With that, she waved her hand, opening a portal that would take her back to the Castle that Never Was, back to her own chamber, where she would sit at her computers and stare incredulously, 'numb' to everyone and everything.

Axel chanced a last glance at the woman he wished he could truly love, but she was gone. Emerald eyes fell to a small pool beside him, Caxebrec's barely-eaten sea-salt ice cream melted enough to drip down and off the Twilight Town bell tower.

_"Great. Now what?"_

* * *

**A/N**: This turned out to be a full six pages on Word. I am happy that I could even type that much with work looming over my head like a guillotine. As always, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.


	5. Questioning Insanity

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any material related to Square Enix in any way or form. Neither do I own the fabulous tragedy "Romeo and Juliet" or anything related to Shakespeare.

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Note: Heartless and Nobody motivations may be different from the series' portrayal.

* * *

Zexion did not appreciate it when the other Organization members would disturb his carefully categorized library, and he would 'hate' them even more for taking away his one and only living friend, if he had a heart to hate with. Instead, the Schemer retreated to the confines of his chamber room after witnessing Axel take Caxebrec away, waving his hand to seal the portal until he deemed to exit.

His chamber was a rather modest one by comparison to the other members. Like the rest of the Organization, Zexion's room was built of pure white marble, with tall glass windows allowing rather too much light from Kingdom Hearts to flood into the room. To counter this, Zexion had curtains darker than the blackest night frame the windows, which he pulled closed to darken his room upon entry. Black sheets were drawn up orderly on a queen-sized bed in one corner of the room, with a desk five feet away at the foot of it. If the curtains weren't drawn, the desk would be lit with the light from the heart-shaped moon lingering in the sky. The rest of the walls were lined with enormous bookshelves, tall, sturdy ladders placed here and there to reach the upper levels.

Zexion walked to the desk, where a small pile of books lay, and opened one. This particular book happened to be the only one of its kind in his library, something he didn't remember ever picking up. But nevertheless, it was a book, and he would never throw it away. Turning to the first page, he ran a gloved finger over the single, gold-embossed word: Fairytales. The first time he had come across the book was during the second day of his membership in the Organization. He had found himself very puzzled; where had it come from? How had it managed to get into his library, the very one he locked with illusion and trickery? But by whatever means, the book was part of his library, and Zexion had come to enjoy one fairytale in particular. He would never allow any mentioning of the book to the rest of the Organization though, for they would surely think him insane afterward.

The plot followed a pair of lovers, both from rival families with a blood feud extending centuries into the past. Each family wanted to massacre the other, and both servants and leaders alike attempted to slay each other. The main male character was exiled for supposedly murdering his lover's cousin, and in her turn, the young woman found a way to make herself appear dead, for fear of marrying a man she loathed. But this plan apparently backfired, much to Zexion's 'amusement', and both lovers ended up dead.

Needless to say, it was certainly a way to pass the time reading the tragedy, and the Schemer needed to calm himself from Caxebrec's mild betrayal.

About an hour and half later, Zexion was halfway through an amusing scene where the young woman's father nearly disowns her for her voiced disdain for her betrothed, when there was a small flash of light at his chamber portal. The Schemer looked up, knowing that someone was on the other side, trying to get in. He assumed it was Demyx, come to request more paper to write his newest song for his sitar. Stowing the book away in a drawer, he waved his hand, lifting the seal on the portal.

"Enter," he said. There was no flash of light, as he expected. Instead, darkness appeared where a faint blue had been, and two hooded figures appeared, one tall, the other short, carrying a third who was visibly unconscious. A viscous blue substance was slowly dripping from an arm that hung down the side of the person's body. Zexion's eyes betrayed no recognition, though he knew exactly who the entity was.

"We found the Heartless trying to finish her off," came Roxas' voice, heavy with worry and concern. The other man pulled his hood off, being careful not to drop the slight figure in his arms.

"Zexion, Xemnas and Saïx are gone, and Marluxia's no help. _You_ have to help her," Demyx pleaded, cerulean eyes wide with 'fear'. The Cloaked Schemer gazed at the pair impassively for a moment, before swiftly crossing the room. He pulled harshly on both young men's sleeves, yanking them through his chamber portal.

"We've lost too many members already. We'll take her down to the laboratories."

--

Caxebrec couldn't return to the castle. She didn't want to be anywhere near the other Nobodies, especially Axel, who might have already returned from Twilight Town. So she did the next best thing, what Roxas did every night: she wandered around the Dark City. It was raining, and the dark, clouded sky seemed more ominous than ever as the Icy Technician turned corner after corner, watching the glowing eyes of Heartless as they observed her hungrily from the shadows, knowing that, because she had no heart, they could not gain sustenance from her. But that didn't stop their minds from wanting to kill her.

Contrary to the popular belief, Heartless and Nobodies only cooperated together because they all had the same goal: to find their other half and become a Somebody. The only reason both had allied themselves with the Organization was because they were able to travel to different worlds, hoping to find 'completion'. None ever found it — even the ones who were able to combine into a full body — because the minds of Heartless and Nobodies alike were so deteriorated that they could never truly recall the fullness a heart brought to their 'lives'.

Caxebrec could sense the 'bloodlust' around her, but she did not 'fear', for she would be leading many of these same denizens of darkness on a raid of some world the next day, and they would get their fill of stealing hearts. Abruptly, she stepped out into an alley blocked by a truck that had crashed long ago, possibly one that the first six Organization members had driven through the streets of the nothing-world in a vain attempt to find some place to 'live'.

Azure eyes gazed upward, at the back of the tallest building in the city: Memory's Skyscraper. She tilted her head, considering; she had never been to the top, where — Roxas had told her — you could see to the other edge of the drop-off that the Organization's castle was suspended over. Exhaustion took over her as she gazed at the metal ladder hanging five feet above her head, but a sudden thought came to her, one that spurred her to leap, fingers grasping the first rung, and flip herself backward so she caught the third, feet catching on the first metal bar. Swiftly, she began to ascend, all the while squinting against the ceaseless rain pelting her face. The wind began to howl in her ears, threatening to deafen the young woman as she grasped rung after rung, pulling herself upward until at last, she hauled herself over the edge and onto the roof.

Just as Roxas had said, she could, indeed, see the other side of the massive pit. Other than that, the view was quite ordinary, nothing particularly different from the view from her room in the castle. Gazing up at the suspended structure, Caxebrec's eyes faded to a faint shimmering viridian, as she sat down on a small vent that protruded from the skyscraper's roof.

_"What are we __**really**__ doing?" _she asked herself, gaze dropping to her gloved hands. _"Why must we steal hearts, kill people,__** destroy lives**__… just to live a fucking twisted existence that can't even be called __**living**__?" _There was no answer, either from her nonexistent heart or from the surrounding darkness. Caxebrec stood, eyes gradually turning an intense blood red that made the Heartless nearby scuttle away like ants when they've lost their scent-trail.

The Technician felt 'hatred' welling up from the pit of her stomach, an unfamiliar 'feeling' that flooded her veins as she gazed down into the wide courtyard at the foot of the skyscraper. Caxebrec frowned as she saw Heartless and Nobodies spawning there, too many for what could be called an 'attendant-troupe'. Abruptly, she felt the air change around her; it was heavily laden with murderous intent, and Caxebrec whirled around to find roughly four dozen Neoshadows poised to attack her. The crimson coloring in her irises faded to a deathly shade of navy as she recognized what they were after.

"You want to kill me?" she murmured, gazing around at the anxiously shifting forms. Her lips curled into a small, wry smile. "You want to kill me for _doubting_ myself, right? Well then…" She raised her arms, and two bars of pure white light appeared at her side and on her back. Caxebrec threw back her hood, letting the rain soak through her hair as she grasped one end of both bars, drawing them to reveal silver blades that flashed in the moonlight. Her feet slid easily into a fighting stance, her right hand holding a blade at her side, the other blade resting across her shoulder blades. Eyes like the purest silver pierced the night as Caxebrec gazed at the Heartless before her. They crouched, ready to spring, and she chuckled, her voice full of venom as she whispered,

"Come and get me."

--

"Where did you find her?" Zexion asked, his hands preoccupied with a regulation plug on an intravenous beside the young woman's bed. Roxas and Demyx exchanged glances.

"… At Memory's Skyscraper," Roxas murmured, reaching for a roll of gauze the Schemer had gestured at.

"We saw her-" Demyx swallowed hard, "We saw her leap off the roof, followed by some Neoshadows. It looked like- like they were trying to _kill_ her…"

"We cannot die in the sense you are using the term, IX," the Schemer replied bluntly, cerulean eyes focused on inputting data in a small computer at the foot of Caxebrec's bed. He stopped abruptly, turning to the two young men beside him, an unexpected flash of what looked like 'anger' in his eyes.

"Did you see anyone else there? Axel, perhaps?"

"No. We didn't see anyone…" Demyx trailed off, gazing 'worriedly' at the unconscious young woman. She was dressed in infirmary garb, a few bandages and gauze wrapped around her arms and neck. Luckily, Zexion had already managed to stem the flow of sapphire-colored blood1 on the way down to the laboratory. But the Melodious Nocturne couldn't help but exchange a glance with Roxas when they saw how pallid the Technician's face had become.

"She will need to stay here for two days at the very least," Zexion muttered, returning to his normal demeanor as he checked over some tools lying in a tray on a table nearby. "Do not disturb her before that. I will attend to this." With that, the Schemer waved them away, Roxas turning away silently, pulling a very reluctant Demyx with him.

"Zexion!" The silvery-blue-haired man looked up, gaze piercing as he waited for the Nocturne's next outburst.

"… Can I visit her?" Zexion held Demyx' gaze for a long time before the blonde had to look away. The Cloaked Schemer's eyes hardened as he murmured,

"Two days."

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1) The explanation for Caxebrec's blue blood is apparently an actual fact. I asked a chemistry professor about it. Blood does not circulate when the heart does not beat (or is not there, as the case may be), and it is blue when it does not carry oxygen. Therefore, my assumption is that Nobodies' blood must be blue, though they can still breathe. Their blood would most likely be red, or a type of red near their lungs where oxygen would be transferred to the cells.


	6. Awake and Insane?

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any material related to Square Enix in any way or form.

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_If consciousness is the word to describe the state of feeling and being awake, while unconsciousness is the exact opposite, then what would we Nobodies be called? I ask myself that question as I open my eyes once more to darkness. But this darkness is different from the jeweled night that I usually see in dreams. Frankly, I find it rather amusing that Nobodies __**can**__ dream without the hearts we so dearly desire. _

"_Why are you going to go along with his plan?" I start at the sound of my own voice, even though I know my lips did not move. Glancing around, I find nothing and no one nearby, and I wonder what the hell just happened._

"_It's for research. You should know," I hear another voice reply. Zexion's voice. Why is it here? Unbidden, I know the words that are going to come next, though I cannot remember ever speaking them._

"_But… what if something goes wrong? What if Ansem's wrong about everything: other worlds, their links, and hearts?"_

"_There is no turning back. If I have to give my own life for the sake of science, then so be it." Something, I don't know what, stirs painfully in my ribcage. It can't be my heart, that I know, but the pain is there and unbelievably real. I shake my head hard as I hear Zexion's voice continue._

"_Besides, you're the one who came up with the secondary plan. If this one fails, we'll try yours. Ansem is very grateful you came up with the hypothesis…" I feel my face drain as I hear sobbing, and realize it's spilling from my own mouth this time. Darkness consumes me, and tears stream from my tightly shut eyes, the pain in my chest intensifying, a deathly throbbing that threatens to drive me to my knees._

"_Ienzo…" I can hear myself gasping the unfamiliar name in pain and despair. "Don't leave me alone! The experiment hasn't been proven! It'll go horribly wrong, I know it will!"Unexpectedly, I feel a warm hand tilt my chin up. Opening my eyes cautiously, I see Zexion — Ienzo — leaning over me, his face slightly shadowed by the bright lights in a beige room. His brilliant azure eyes gaze down sympathetically at me. _

"_I won't leave you alone. I promise." I feel his breath ghost over my lips as he leans further down, until his face is mere centimeters from mine. My mouth opens and closes slightly in disbelief, and Zexion leans in closer and closer until I'm ready to explode in both fear and exhilaration…_

------

For the past two days, Zexion had sat at Caxebrec's side, carefully monitoring her progress. The bleeding had stopped, and the wounds were closing nicely. But despite all this, the Schemer couldn't help but feel 'concerned' for the Technician. If it was any other Organization member, he would have either left them for dead or bandaged them up and left them in another's care. However, Caxebrec was very important to Zexion, despite whatever logic told him. For quite some time, he had been sitting beside her bed, reading and rereading his favorite Fairytale, drifting unexpectedly into a doze every so often. But during one particular doze, he didn't expect his own name to escape his patient's lips in a soft, despairing tone.

"Zexion…" Piercing azure eyes trained on pale rose lips, pulled tight into a thin line. Frowning, the Schemer leaned forward, allowing his book to fall, unnoticed, to the ground.

"Zexion…" He leaned over the unconscious woman. A frown swept over his face as he watched her pallid lips move seemingly in pain, her faint murmurs barely audible.

"Don't leave me alone… experiment hasn't been proven…" The Technician whined slightly, her face screwing up in pain. Zexion's frown deepened; what was she dreaming? No further coherent words escaped her, although she continued to moan softly in what appeared to be 'fear' or pain. The Schemer looked at the vital statistics monitor beside her bed: her breathing picked up, and the electromagnetic sensor that Caxebrec herself had designed showed the currents in her body running close to dangerous levels.

"Stress level too high… Need to wake her up…" Zexion muttered, getting up to rummage through a nearby cabinet. He pulled out a small vial containing some sort of liquid, before reaching over to the tray of surgical tools to snatch a syringe. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Caxebrec's vitals spike past dangerously high and his eyes widened.

"Damn…" After quickly filling the syringe with the liquid and squirting a bit to remove the air bubbles, the Schemer carefully inserted the needle into the woman's neck, slowly pushing the column of liquid down until there was nothing left. Zexion removed the needle and applied pressure to the minute wound out of unconscious habit. Nobodies didn't die from blood loss, of course, but it would be a good idea not to tempt fate.

Less than a minute later, Caxebrec jolted awake with a cry, eyes shooting open, whole body tense. Zexion glanced at the vitals monitor, frowning at the brief straight line that interrupted the otherwise varied lines in her breathing and electromagnetic categories. That shot of adrenaline shouldn't have affected her that much, not unless her body was in a comatose state.

"Zexion." The Schemer returned his gaze back to the Technician, who was now sitting up, staring directly at him. He remained, unflinching, under her gaze as he waited for Caxebrec to say something else. Gradually, her breathing evened out, and the rapid beeping of the electromagnetic monitor slowed, until Caxebrec came down from the adrenaline rush. Her eyes closed and she took a deep breath.

"How long have I been out?"

"Two days," the Schemer responded, noting the intense ice-blue of her irises as she stared at him.

"Really. Hm." Caxebrec began to take stock of where she was, slowly glancing around the room before settling back on Zexion's half-shadowed figure.

"May I go now?" she asked quietly, gesturing at the intravenous along her left arm.

"I need to make sure you are fully functional before I allow you to leave, Technician," he replied softly, quickly disconnecting the tubes connecting her to the IV and wrapping her arm in bandages. He turned around to snatch a chart from the top of the monitors, allowing Caxebrec a glimpse of the book on the floor.

"Fairytales?" Zexion paused for a split second, before returning to his seat, pen in hand.

"Disrobe." The Technician frowned at his clipped reply, but was thankful that he turned away as she began to pull off the hospital gown she wore, wrapping it around herself to keep some semblance of modesty in front of the Schemer.

"Done. Now what's this 'fairytales' book all about? Normally you never have a book even slightly off the topic of illusions and manipulation in your hands…" Zexion hoped that the Technician's uncharacteristic chattiness was a result of the shot of adrenaline and not some dormant trait that would arouse 'vexation' in him. He set to work, examining the almost-fully-healed wounds Caxebrec had sustained during her fight at Memory's Skyscraper. The Technician's voice gradually faded as she realized Zexion was not listening to her. Instead, she found herself oddly attracted to his silence, his deep, sultry voice as he told her to shift this way or that so he could continue his examination. When he told her to turn around, she didn't expect to be so close to him, close enough to see the fine fringe of eyelashes framing his beautiful azure eyes. A giddy feeling came over Caxebrec, and she struggled to keep from giggling.

"You're beautiful, Zexion." The Schemer's eyes widened a fraction, and Caxebrec finally giggled.

"So pretty… for a man…" She was close. Too close for comfort, and Zexion began to lean away from the Technician, who was on the verge of falling onto him.

"Caxebrec, you're suffering from the effects of the adrenaline. I suggest you dress and then go back to sleep." The Technician gazed blankly at Zexion, who stood swiftly, snatching up the book from the floor and walking to an adjacent laboratory, where he closed the door and leaned against it. He cursed himself.

"_This is an unfortunate development. I never should have allowed myself to become her teacher."_ He gazed impassively at the book in his hand. With a quick flick of his wrist, the book slammed against the wall, only to fall into a wastebasket. 'Rage' contorted his face into a scowl

" _There is never weakness. I'm already a Nobody. I will not allow more darkness to consume me."

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_

A/N: I believe this could have been much better, but to satisfy my readers with another chapter, here is an update.


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